


鶴の目 |||Halcyon Temptation|||

by ChocolateCarnival



Category: Boruto: Naruto Next Generations, Naruto
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Animal Characteristics, Anthropomorphic, Clan Culture, Dark Eroticism, F/M, First Times, Knotting, Politics, Possessive Uchiha Sasuke, Romance, Shy Hyuuga Hinata, Slow Build, Supernatural Elements, Wings/Ears/Tails, α|β|Ω, 鶴の目 - Tsuru no Me - Eyes of the Crane
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-05
Updated: 2021-03-03
Packaged: 2021-03-15 12:46:43
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 10,706
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28563756
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ChocolateCarnival/pseuds/ChocolateCarnival
Summary: ‘She was wreathed in a veil of lilacs, the purple allium, anemone and
        candytufts dancing in her halo. Celestial and sweet, her wild hyacinth
        eyes spiked his heart of pincushion flowers and hydrangeas undulating
        in the wind.’ Hyūga Flower HimeShaped by the strings of despair and fate, Uchiha Sasuke finds himself back
    in Konoha three years after the Fourth Shinobi War. Weary of life, of
    travel, of fate, a strange connection to his forgotten memories as a child
    stands to shake the foundations of his now detached darkness.
Relationships: Hyuuga Hinata & Uchiha Sasuke, Hyuuga Hinata/Uchiha Sasuke
Comments: 29
Kudos: 78





	1. 星座一: The Owlet and Eyas

**Author's Note:**

> Hello My Honeys! Happy New Year!
> 
> I'm a few days late, my apologies! Um, this...well. I couldn't not write it. So here it is, a SasuHina Alpha/Beta/Omega piece with animal characteristics. I needed a little break from my usual. 
> 
> I'm not going to say much, so hopefully it is enjoyable. I'm out of words right now. 
> 
> Just a note: The six-winged frames of the Uchiha and Hyuuga Clan mean that they are born with six wings instead of the four of two winged counterparts unrelated to the main family line. 
> 
> Tertiary wings - Smaller wings at the side of the temple  
> Primary wings - The largest wings found growing from the shoulder blades.  
> Secondary wings - Meduim sized wings found in the lower dip of the spine. 
> 
> I hope this will make the story enjoyable for my loves.

**星座一 **:** **The Owlet and Eyas** ******

****

Konohagakura no Sato was home to the elite of the elite, its borders permanently allied to and founded by the last of the Great Avian Clans. The Hyūga and Uchiha were considered the pride of the village, specialising in offense and defensive combat just as much as their chakra manipulation made it impossible for lesser clans to match up. 

The Land of Fire may thrive with the offspring of canines, foxes, felines and arthropods. Yet, the Uchiha and Hyūga were especially prized for their natural stealth capabilities, flight and speed. Whether as elite shinobi, medic-nin, hunters or notable targets for Kumogakure’s ruthless dōjutsu hunters. 

****

It was strange that neither clan tolerated the other, the two Patriarchs rarely, _if ever_ , allowing cordial interaction between their kin. Clansmen were often warned to keep their bloodline undiluted and pure, _spotless_ of outside influence and interference. After all, it was only the selective breeding of generations that allowed for magnificent six-winged fledgelings to be born in the main family lines. 

****

Four-year-old Sasuke was one of them. His tertiary wings were tilted proudly towards the skies like his brother’s, the little one desperately trying not to quiver beneath his father’s icy scrutiny as red Sharingan orbs traced the innate openness of his shy smile. The tiny winglets tucked against his temples were harder to control than those situated on his shoulders and lower back, especially the feathers that belayed a soft, downy, innocence yet to be touched by discipline and war. 

****

“You look _so_ handsome my little Prince,” His mother cooed, pinning the Uchiha Patriarch with a glare as she smoothed the traditional Uchiha tunic tumbling toward Sasuke’s calves. It was cut in a mirror to the formal battle cloaks warn by their clan for centuries, the high-collared neck accentuating an honoured uchiwa fan carefully concealed beneath the folds of his larger primary wings. 

****

The tunic was designed so that the symbol of their Clan was on display once their pinions were spread, the white and red fan meticulously embroidered on dark blue, winter-thick, cotton and striking gold. Scooping the little Eyas into her arms the moment he turned large black eyes in her direction, Uchiha Mikoto gracefully shook out the crumples of her own kimono before turning around to assess her husband and older son. 

****

Itachi was never one she had to worry about too much however, looking just as stoic and regal and detached as his father. Sasuke fluttered impatiently in Kaa-san’s arms, wild black hair refusing to hold the careful tameness she worked through feral strands as he jumped from her embrace to walk beside his most treasured person instead. 

****

“Nii-san!” The youngest cried happily, a large smile spreading across peony-pink lips as a warm hand on his shoulder steadied the excitable stumble of his steps. The six years older brother instinctively slowed his gait for Sasuke to catch up to, watching amusedly as an expressive frown of confusion furrowed dark brows the moment they crossed Uchiha borders separating the outside. 

****

This was the first time the tiny four-year-old was to venture outside their isolated district, the little Japanese sparrowhawk completely unaware of where they were going and what they were doing. Their parents were conversing quietly a few steps ahead, the rapping geta on their feet much quieter and smoother than his own. 

****

Sasuke had yet to get used to the formal tengu footwear his clan was known to favour instead of shinobi sandals, glad for once his Nii-san made no comment when he boldly used his wings to save himself from tumbling over several times. The feathers at his temples were fluttering restlessly in irritation, large onyx eyes scanning the mild shafts of sunlight breaking through heavy afternoon storm clouds. 

****

He asked where they were going earlier but Itachi refused to say, telling him teasingly he’d have to wait and see. Sasuke had never been a very patient child, an adorable little pout quivering his bottom lip as he indigently crossed his arms over his chest. Their unexpected trek through the village lead them through busy downtown markets, civilians and cloaked shinobi alike heckling equally noisily for good produce. 

****

The little Eyas found his eyes glued to the appendageless men and woman crowding the streets, wondering in awe how they lived without the blessing of the gods. It was the first time he’d ever seen the class of humans Tou-san called ‘cursed’. It was unsettling and unthinkable—. 

****

“They’re civilians.” Itachi noted his wide-eyed curiosity. “It’s rare they have enough chakra to become successful Shinobi. Yet, I’m sure you’ll see a few at the Academy next year.” Parting his lips with a quiet ‘Oh’, Sasuke tried desperately to keep himself focused on their current destination instead of the uncomfortable sensation their presence caused. 

****

He didn’t like the way they were looking at him, hollow eyes following their family’s every move with barely restrained enmity. It was—. 

****

“It’s alright, Otouto. They can’t hurt you.” Startling slightly at the warm fingers teasing falling winglets upward, Itachi offered a serene smile before drawing Sasuke closer to his side. The elder’s quietly content expression was carefully concealed in his tunic’s high collar, the two six-winged Uchiha brothers weaving an untouchable path through bustling street corners. 

****

How long they continued to walk in silence Sasuke couldn’t tell, feeling uncharacteristically anxious as the dusty roads eventually gave way to elegantly paved roads and large, traditional, gardens. The air here smelled of _home_ , clean and soft with blossoming wildflowers, swaying juniper trees and crisp water from flowing mountain springs. 

****

It instantly unwound the unknown tension their trek through the unknown suffused in Sasuke’s tiny limbs, childlike onyx orbs eagerly taking in the towering treelines and undulating mountainscape carving out the distance. It was beautiful here, a blue-sky peeking through retreating grey clouds as a playful tug on his sleeve sought to recapture his attention. 

****

“Eyes upfront, Otouto. We’re here.” A vast iron gate rose imposingly from the earthen ground below, an imposing red-fire _mon_ meticulously painted in a distinct marigold sphere. The proud symbols belayed a creaking hinge the moment the edifice parted. Just like the Uchiha Compound, vast white walls encompassed the rest of the estate from prying eyes. 

****

_No one_ was allowed to see the inner workings of the Uchiha without being Uchiha themselves. It was—. 

****

“Hiashi-sama, Himeko-sama.” Tou-san greeted formally, the two women bowing courteously to one another as an equally stoic male, decked in the traditional umber and white of his Clan, quietly exchanged a rigid greeting. Even through the strange tension and curious surroundings, Sasuke could tell he was being impossibly rude by staring so much. 

****

“T-they’re like us…” He murmured excitably, awed by the six-winged couple regally spreading their wings at their arrival. It was the first time he had _ever_ seen another avian clan, their hosts’ wingspan seemingly twice as long as their Uchiha counterparts. The dusky brown and black of their feathers were not as eye-catching and beautiful as the striped undersides of a sparrowhawk’s, but they certainly looked downier and easier to blend into thick forests—. 

****

“They’re Japanese scops owls.” Itachi answered the boy’s unspoken question, a teasing palm shoving him forward slightly as he bit back a quiet chuckle. “Why don’t you go say hello to Hinata-chan? We’ve been invited to play after all.” 

****

“Hinata-chan?” Sasuke questioned, narrowing dark eyes in the direction Itachi was indicating. Blinking indolently at what he saw, the young four-year-old’s world seemed to narrow in focus the moment he spotted a tiny anomaly behind the back of the long-haired Clan Head. Shyly peeking around his thigh was a small three-year-old child, her tertiary wings drooping timidly over her forehead so only a pair of unique pearl orbs could be seen. 

****

Her long lashes and black hair, shimmering a deep midnight blue in the sunlight, was boyishly cut so that twin bangs tickled the sides of her face. The Hime fringe softened the childlike roundness of her cheeks, her vividly expressive eyes looking at him just as intensely as he was looking at her. 

****

It wasn’t the rich silks of her lavender kimono or timid fear that captivated his attention the most, but the unique colour of her plumage. It was a mixture of soft grey and white, her downy under-feathers fluttering softly in the breeze as she shyly twiddled her fingers in the long sleeves of her kimono. There was a unique spread of down occupying the corner of stunning white lashes, bringing out the breathtaking ammolite filaments hidden inside pupiless eyes. She was—. 

****

“H-h-hello. I-I’m H-Hinata. P-p-pleased to m-meet y-y-you.” She bowed formally, her stutter a genuine surprise to him as he struggled to decipher what she was saying behind his own uncharacteristic blush. She was so pretty, so soft... He wanted to touch her feathers to see if—. 

****

“Otouto. Where’s your manners?” 

****

“Oh, hello!” He returned somewhat shyly. “You can call me Sasuke,” He smiled, holding out his hand for her to take the moment their mothers implored them to go play. For the first time in his young life Sasuke felt like he had made a friend, her quiet demeanour and soothing nature humbling against the louder rambunctiousness he was used to from their fiery Clan. 

****

Itachi was quietly shadowing them the moment the adults led them into a magnificent traditional Japanese garden, Kaa-san and the lady who introduced herself as Himeko ushering them off to explore whilst they prepared tea on the _engawa_. Sasuke was too enamoured with his new friend to let the small hand in his go, speaking softly to Hinata of everything he could think of as their long flight-feathers brushed every now and then. 

****

Even when she didn’t speak in return, he was happy to chatter and see the small smile or cautious nod she gifted him every now and then. It was unusual to see her secondary wings sagging shyly to brush pristine feathers across vibrant green grass. The young Uchiha didn’t mind though, the stiff formality from before dropping from his own frame as he found his own wings flicking happily behind him. 

****

He was utterly enamoured by the flush decorating round cheeks and the quiet voice squeaking in surprise everytime their eyes met. It was—. 

****

“Do you like flowers?” He asked suddenly, watching intently as she nodded and turned on her heel to show him the section of purple flowers carefully cultivated by her Okaa-san’s hand. 

****

“Un,” She agreed. “I-I like many flowers. A-anemone, a-allium…c-candytufts…l-lilacs. T-there’s p-pincushion flowers and Okaa-sama’s moonflowers too.” She reiterated shyly, pointing out the beautiful blooms flowering in different places beneath the unassuming spring air. Sasuke was suitably impressed she knew so many of them, wondering absently just where the desperate urge came to bury her in his arms and touch their wing tips—. 

****

To bury his nose in the sweet curls at the base of her neck and smell the soothing wisteria-lime blossom scent clinging to her skin—. He quickly pulled himself together when he noticed her fiddling with her fingers bashfully, quietly retreating back into her shell when he didn’t respond to her for a while. 

****

“That’s amazing!” He shouted exuberantly. “You know so many already. Are there others you can name?” She nodded with a quiet ‘un’, shyly reaching for his hand this time as she took him around the large enclosure accentuated by shimmering koi ponds, stone walkways, unlit lanterns and the buzzing of bees in honey lavender bushes. 

****

He was glad she did not seem so shy anymore, her demeanour shifting slightly as she finally found someone interested in listening to what she had to say. In return, she too listened happily as he told her of the adventures Nii-san sometimes took him on or the training he was planning to do when he started the Academy. 

****

It was in the warm innocence of that spring that he first pondered the words Kaa-san told him before they ventured here. 

****

_‘Listen to me carefully, Sasuke. There a lot of social protocols and instinct that dictate our lives as Uchiha. As such, I need to remember to never touch the wings, tails, ears or neck of anyone that is not family or your Mate. It will—.’_

****

_‘What’s a Mate?’_ He had asked curiously. The Uchiha Matriarch having offered him a small smile before brushing her fingers through the downy feathers of his left winglet. 

****

_‘It’s the other half of your soul, my little boy. The_ _Ω_ _mega or_ ⍺ _lpha you want to spend the rest of your life with when you’re older. To raise a family with like Tou-san and I. You’re a bit young to be thinking of that right now but the same applies to you,_ never _allow others to touch your wings or neck if they are not family.’_

****

_A Mate,_ Sasuke frowned. He wondered if he’d feel the same trembling excitement in his heart whenever he found Hinata’s curious lavender orbs connecting with his or the soft red that tickled the back of his neck whenever their wings brushed. He liked her so much that he didn’t even protest when she placed a large bearded iris behind his ear. 

****

“I-it’s a B-B-Before the S-Storm I-Iris,” She explained. “I-it’s m-my favourite. It looks l-like your hair. B-black and s-soft.” The petals were so deep in colour that it reflected a pitch-black midnight sky, the soft flora accentuating feral raven tresses as the four-year-old proudly shifted his winglets to the sky. 

****

“I like it too.” He claimed, curling his hand around hers as their mothers called them back into the house for tea. It was on this day, three years before the nightmares of the real world invaded their lives that they forged a forgotten bond bound by the hands of fate. 

****

Though, ultimately, it would take fifteen years before they truly crossed paths again. 

****

* * * * 

****

The world encompassed his terminus of sin, a gossamer throne hallowed and unseen in the clouds of a shimmering dimension. The gateway between worlds yawned and moaned beneath the power of his Samsara eye. In between flashes of thunder and lightning, the forces of nature set vast Konoha mountainscapes ablaze in byzantine purple. The roiling tempest roaring to life in the background of the heavens, spun to life in the hands of his primordial forefather. 

****

Ōtsutsuki Indra was a pacific voice in the back of his head, Uchiha Sasuke still reeling against assimilating the portion of power the Sage gifted him three years before. It was a genuine comfort knowing he had yet to be abandoned by the storm god of his Clan, however. Especially after he was so mired in destruction and sin. 

****

Weak and drained from days of dimensional travel, the Last Uchiha finally laid aching winglets and his head on the grass of his homeland. Beneath towering juniper trees and fragrant grass meadows, the bitterly overgrown fields of his family’s once proud district flickered intermittently with visions of their dead. 

****

He could still vividly recall the despair of _that_ night, his stomach heaving unexpectedly at the ghostly overlay of crows picking Sharingan orbs from still-warm Uchiha corpses. It was harkening back to the agonizing helplessness and isolation carved deep in his growing psyche, his mind utterly traumatized and halted after years bound by revenge—. 

****

“Hn.” Momentarily shielding his eyes from visions of the past, Uchiha Sasuke laid a stray arm over clenched eyelids in an attempt to block the memories from sight. He was turning restlessly on his back, large sparrowhawk wings splayed haplessly beneath him as he mindlessly ground ⍺lpha-sharp canines along his bottom lip. 

****

The nineteen-year-old had undoubtedly exhausted himself after hours of exploring the power contained in his left eye, the fathomless depths of his pride and unique self-discipline heavily dissatisfied with the chakra it expended simply by being continually activated. Not to mention, he was still working on incorporating the loss of his left arm into adequate battle-readiness. 

****

Relearning to cast jutsu with no seals, unbalanced and slowing him more than before; the Last Uchiha was left deliriously drained that afternoon. A diaspora of dark purple and violet chakra was flickering intermittently behind closed eyelids, his mind desperately trying to escape the burden crafted not only by spiralling nightmares but distant memories. 

****

Sasuke was tired, unable to understand or incorporate the ease of transition many of peers executed from war to peace to love to family. His mind simply wasn’t wired for compassion and attachment, his instincts honed on the battlefield, cruelty and blood. It was no _wonder_ his unmated status grated on the Hokage and Elders’ nerves. 

****

They were looking to control the Tercel from escaping their grasp, to force him into the same pattern of his peers regardless of their weariness of his temper and power. They wanted control, sycophancy, respect…his Sharingan legacy—. 

****

Sasuke _refused._ He wasn’t ready to settle down, nor had he found a proper Mate. If the was _one_ thing he honoured above all else, it was his mother’s wishes for him to never allow another to touch him he was not destined to be with for eternity. He would not settle down until he found his true Mate, the Ωmega to his ⍺lpha and the yin to his yang. 

****

As an unmated Uchiha however, the nineteen-year-old strenuously hid his lack of interest behind a façade of impenetrable apathy. The heady pheromone cocktail that usually followed his every step inside the village never _once_ registered in his mind. Or rather, he couldn’t scent it. Perhaps it was because his more basal instincts had yet to bloom, or he was simply broken by the trauma of his past. 

****

All he could smell, if he tried, was blood in the rain, the bitterness of his family’s decaying corpses and _mud_. Not that it truly mattered these days, he mused. His dream of reviving his Clan was as far from his mind as the sun to moon. Sasuke had yet to break through his mindset of getting stronger, to amass enough power to protect the village his brother loved or atone for the destruction he caused. 

****

Falling into survival mentality was easier than venturing into emotions and regrets he had yet to explore. Which is why he cared little for the abrupt announcement of Naruto and Sakura’s wedding at the end of the month. Rather, he was willing to crumble into a heady weariness encased by the elements, the wind rustling needlessly through ancient Uchiha trees as chin-length black bangs tickled the tip nose with every breath. 

****

The velvet-blue wrap he wound around his head to hide the expressiveness of his tertiary wings at least kept the long forelock from slipping into his Rinnegan. The hooded brown poncho tumbling to his knees shifted slightly as he turned on his side. With his primary wing folding over his only remaining arm protectively and his secondary wing laying over his hip, Sasuke valiantly ignored the constant itch brushing long hair against the nape of his neck. 

****

He didn’t feel like stirring from the ground in his meditative slumber, to tired to settle in the branches of a tree as the wind chilled significantly with the arrival of twilight. It was the barest caress of foreign chakra invading his senses that woke him, the brush a cool palm trailing across his brow as jerked into defensive wakefulness. 

****

The screaming agony of awakening his dōjutsu after days of overuse blinded him momentarily, the Last Uchiha mercilessly pinning his attacker against the bark of a tree as he crouched predatorily over his prey. Unseeing, he struggled for breath. His gloved palm curling mercilessly around a delicate neck as the deafening chirp of a Chidori sparked instinctively in the back of his mind. 

****

Reticent, he glared. 

****

Even if he was in supposedly friendly territory, it did not appease the darkness of his instincts. Cut off from rest of Konoha in his Clan lands, Sasuke was vulnerable. He refused to take any more risks—. 

****

“U-Uchiha-san! P-please let me go.” Soft. She was soft, that was the first thing that crossed his delirious mind. It wasn’t until he heard the distressed Ωmegan whimper that he stilled, mismatched irises observing the beautiful creature captive in the circle of his palm. 

****

Long, thigh-length, spherulitic strands were shimmering like ink in the luminescent moonlight. Flowing evocatively around them, her delicately serene features stirred something unknown and unexpected in the pit of his stomach. Her eyes, wide moonlit-ametrine orbs, were partially hidden by the sudden shift of a tertiary wing, her startled pupiless irises peeking up at him from behind delicate grey feathers. 

****

A quiet rumble echoed threateningly in the back of his throat, Byakugan-lavender orbs lidding in soft appeasement as her serene chakra twisted and twined tranquilly with his. It was as if her mere presence was soothing years of aggressiveness at the small action, the woman instinctively barring her throat as his mind hazed at the electric sensation of _mine_ it echoed through his veins. 

****

“Y-you!” He swallowed, the woman bowing evocatively as he pushed. It was thrilling, unknown instinct stirring deep within as a haunting elderflower-bergamot scent drifted teasingly in his nose. The moment his thumb glided over an oily scent-gland at the base of her neck, he nearly double over at the enriching perfume it released. 

****

Sasuke was drowning in the encompassing scent, chocking on its addictive sweetness—. He couldn’t take it anymore, stumbling back a few steps as his mind raced. He didn’t like the veil of obscurity it drew over his instincts, a tightening of desire yearning deep in the pit of his stomach… 

****

Shaking his head to rid of the uncharacteristic heaviness infused in his limbs, the Last Tercel was unsurprised to find her kunai drawn just as swiftly and elegantly as the chokutō he now lowered in confusion. 

****

“Why touch me, Hyūga? Do you want something?” He grunted, shivering in the midnight breeze as he realized she was not after his life. He could remember bits and pieces of the owl’s presence in his past, her strange fascination with his blonde-haired teammate in their youth and the beautiful white and grey feathers of her plumage rather than the Hyūga Clan’s dull reddish-browns. It was—. 

****

“A-Are you alright, U-Uchiha-san?” She asked, battle-ready wings drooping shyly as she put away her kunai and righted the tertiary wings at her temples. It instantly changed the aura around her, drawing sharp mismatched eyes to the mouth-watering curves of her bust and hips. 

****

Accentuated, as it was, in the formfitting lavender sweater and black obi concealing a considerable pouch behind her back; Sasuke struggled to draw his attention away from the stockings caressing her thighs or the delicious peak of flesh it flashed between black nylon and shorts. 

****

She was beautiful in the starlight dimness, a luminescent glow like moondust and promise illuminating the soft purple of her eyes. 

****

“Hn.” Was his only reply, a scowl narrowing his eyes as she tugged nervously at the hem of her sweater. She was mumbling something about thinking he was caught up in the strange swell of chakra they sensed earlier that day. He certainly _looked_ as if he was dead. 

****

Sasuke refused to tell her that it was merely him stepping through dimensions and honing the power of his left eye that exhausted him so much, too mortified she managed to creep up on him. Nonchalantly sheathing his chokutō at his waist, the Last Uchiha shook out crumpled flight feathers as he mourned the loss of his left arm when he realized his wings were in quite a state. 

****

Grooming wasn’t easy one handed, he frowned. Especially on his left side as he could no longer reach every nook and cranny to dislodge the dust and debris settled between his feathers. Plus, he really needed a bath…it had been a few days. 

****

“A-are you sure you are alright, U-Uchiha-san?” The Hyūga asked. _Hinata_ , he remembered. He almost felt like apologizing for the state she found him in, frayed trousers, dirty tengu geta, ugly poncho and all. If his winglets were unveiled, he was sure they would be attempting to cover his face much the same way hers did when she was embarrassed. 

****

The only good thing, he supposed, was that Sasuke disciplined his features so much it was impossible to tell what he was thinking or feeling. Probably why she was frowning at him now, no doubt sensing the immense drain in his considerable chakra reserves. 

****

“Call me Sasuke.” He insisted, feeling strange allowing her to show him respect when he did not gift her the same curtesy. Besides, hearing the name ‘Uchiha’ reminded him of the legacy and family he lost. It wasn’t something he enjoyed. 

****

“A-alright, Sasuke-san.” She agreed. “S-should I w-walk you home? I-It’s dark and w-we’ve been getting reports of wolves in area.” The nineteen-year-old wanted to laugh at the offer, not at the kindness she so generously displayed. But rather at the fact that she was concerned about wolves attacking him, the world’s strongest shinobi besides the soon-to-be Hokage of Konohagakura no Sato. 

****

It was almost _ludicrous_ if it wasn’t so sweet…a word he never thought he’d associate with anyone in his entire life. Strangely though, he didn’t want to leave just yet. Though, he’d be damned if he let her think he was helpless merely because he was drained. 

****

“It’s fine. I’ll walk you back to your estate.” He offered instead, giving no indication of relenting even as she shook her head with a quiet dismissal. Instead, he merely trudged in the direction of the Hyūga estate. This part of the Uchiha forest bordered with the other Avian Clan, a fact he could clearly recall in bits and pieces from his early childhood. 

****

When Hinata didn’t follow immediately, Sasuke stilled and gazed over his shoulder expectantly until she finally deflated beneath his gaze and fell in step behind him. Not a single world spanned the space between then, the scops owl quiet in nervous in his presence even when he made sure to keep his usual standoffishness reeled in and his chakra close to his body. 

****

There was something about Hinata that put him at ease, the moonlight dim and soft at the approach of midnight. He didn’t particularly care about the all-seeing Hyūga eyes they attracted the closer they drew to her Clan estate. He wasn’t planning on staying long in their presence, there was things he to do and places he had to see. 

****

So, with a quiet nod and strange reluctance; Sasuke nodded a brief dismissal at her thank you before taking to the skies. If the Hyūga Hime was worried about his wellbeing against some stray wolves in the area, he would travel the routes they couldn’t. 

****

Perhaps then, he’d see a tree worthy enough to allow him to sleep in comfortably for the rest of the night. 

****

* * * * 

星座一 - Seiza Ichi - First Constellation 


	2. 星座二: The Uchiha Flame

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay! One more chapter update...in my first week of Uni. I just had to finish this as I started over the weekend. 
> 
> Either way, I don't know when I'll update next as I'll be concentrating on my studies for now but I'll definitely be back soon. Also, this story had been marked explicit for a reason~! Please remember that. Also, a thank you for all those who reviewed and were showing such immense interest in this story. It warms my heart to see. 
> 
> So thank you very much!
> 
> Chapter contains a lime....which I do hope is so very enjoyable.

As she retreated behind the gates of her family compound, Sasuke shivered at the starlit galaxies and tranquil beauty he glimpsed consuming the pearlescent depths of her eyes. The moon's reflective rays were illuminating their depthless radiance for his sole pleasure, searing her Ωmegan beauty permanently behind spiralling heterochromic irises. 

The nineteen-year-old was desperately attempting to control the flaming heat searing his cheeks, large umber-black wings gliding restlessly through the midnight heavens as he sloped towards the roof of the Uchiha district’s only lived-in home. He clearly remembered using a flash of Sharingan to captured her voluptuous frame in the depths of his mind, unwilling to let go of the heady warmth her mere presence sparked inside his soul. 

It was the first time Sasuke ever felt like this, his mind unable to stop recalling the instinctual thrill he felt the moment she offered him her submission. The sensual, unmarked, column of her throat tipping back at the press of his thumb; the soothing gossamer scent of her pheromones tickling his senses and the needy _whine_ spilling from the depths of parted peony lips—. 

The Last Uchiha was _yearning_ — uncharacteristically desperate to control, to satiate, to touch…to _brand—._

The hitch of fiery need in his lungs howled with untamed passion, his instincts skittering like lightning striking stone as the tercel stumbled dazedly through an unused and dusty _genkan._ Claw like talons were growing from his right hand, dragging groves of frustration in the oaken doorframe as he headed towards the back of the house where his childhood room resided. 

Even now, Sasuke could smell the curdling death and destruction that once clung to these walls, the bitter loneliness and agony of his past momentary stilling the bloom of impulse as he flexed his palm to withdraw uncomfortable black talons. Only, when his drifted to scrape across his burning eyes, it carried with it the oily residue he unknowingly scraped from Hyūga’s mating gland. 

_“Fuck!”_ Why did he have to discover this side of himself right now? In the care of both Orochimaru and Madara he had never once experienced the more feral needs of his secondary gender. So much so that both men had referred to him as a defective ⍺lpha. The Last Uchiha had never experienced a single rut since his thirteenth birthday…regardless of being exposed to Ωmega pheromones unrelentingly captured by their heat. 

Whether it had been a sick strategy to test his fertility (Orochimaru), or preparing himself for the darker of side of war (Madara); neither men ever succeeded. Every test they ran ended in disappointment, especially since Sasuke took violent offense to them attempting to control his actions through the pull of hormones and instinct. 

Inside his old home however, the last place he ever wanted to be, Sasuke couldn’t help but feel awareness of his body and mind dripping from his disciplined grasp. He wanted the Hyūga Hime, he wanted to mark her as _his_ …as—. 

_Screw_ sleeping in the comforting bows of a tree tonight. 

The nineteen-year-old knew that if he didn’t manage to find an isolated place to lock himself inside of, or seal himself away from the greedy hands of the public, he’d find increasingly violent ways to tear down his surroundings and sink his teeth in the Hyūga’s mating gland. 

The last hour of separation from her was absolute _torture_ , only his reverence and love for his Clan stopping him from destroying the home he both treasured and despised at the same time. This was the only link he had to them, after all. The few happy memories in his life before hatred and despair bloomed—. 

“Nnng,” Moaning unrestrained in need the moment he slammed the fusuma doors to his room shut, Sasuke’s entire being vibrated with unrestrained arousal. He was struggling to contain the frustrated agitation it provoked in his blood; his mind only vaguely aware he was employing the scent sealing barrier they were taught to use during emergency situations at the Academy. 

The one-handed seals he stuttered through was a simple _Mi – Ushi – U – Tora[ **[1]** ](https://d.docs.live.net/3f152ccd713520fd/Pictures/The%20Ephermerides%20Augur/The%20Asphalt%20Orchard/The%20Ephemerides%20Augur/Halcyon%20Temptation.docx#_ftn1) _ array, his spine shivering at the restrictive chakra barrier it domed in a towering twelve-meter hemisphere from the centre of his room. Bare feet were dragging unresponsively towards the back of the six-tatami space, large sparrowhawk wings flaring instinctively behind him as he had no choice but to press his back against the wall furthest from the door. 

If he did not put as much space between him and the only exit as possible, Sasuke was sure he would do something he’d regret. 

“What should I do, _nii-san?”_ He rasped, the Last Uchiha Tercel unable to rid himself of the Ωmega’s alluring vision or scent. He was fighting a losing battle inside himself; her starlight essence permeating the very fibres of his sandy cloak and dusty skin. A heady sweetness clung to his gloved palm; shameless fingertips lifting to rub the oily residue her scent gland left behind across his lips. 

Pulling the fabric from his hand with a flash of feral teeth, the one-armed shinobi growled evocatively as her taste exploded across his senses. _Fuck!_ It was a thousand time worse than just scenting her, every rustle of his clothes, creasing fabric or shifting skin she touched, sent her fragrance dancing like a vaporous cloud around him. It couldn’t have been more than thirty seconds he was enclosed in her personal space, thirty seconds to _—._

“Hinata…” ⍺lpha-sharp canines were sinking into the flesh of his wrist in a bid to control himself, the bitter ozone and ash of his own scent gland an analgesic on his tongue as he ground white enamel until blood bloomed. It was a self-soothing tick he employed since the Massacre as a child, using the oily residue and iron-nickel fervour to make sure he could smell something other than _death_ , than _mud_ …than _blood in the rain._

Yet, _she_ still burst through his awareness. The water-like tranquillity of her starlight undernotes, the moonlit wisteria and aphrodisiac lime-blossom lust on her breath—. It coated the back of his throat in thick swathes, veiling the initial saccharine sweetness he smeared across his lips. 

The tip of his tongue was tracing the fragrant wisp lingering in his mouth, a light sheen of sweat clinging to every inch of exposed skin as it curled feral shoulder-length raven hair. It was sweltering hot inside his cloak, Uchiha Sasuke sinking mindlessly to the floor as long legs folded haplessly beneath him. 

Large primary and secondary wings were spread restlessly behind him, his back bowed momentarily forward so he could he draw up an absent knee and grind bare toes in coarse bamboo tatami. 

_“Hn.”_ Tenons were straining in his neck with the need to hold back, his chakra and will strenuously coiled as time flowed and ticked and spiralled into eternity. 

How long Sasuke sat there, dazed and unseeing, his heart a heady thunderstorm crackling menacingly across the heavens; he didn’t know. Only that after blurring minutes hitched to become hours, his perception of reality faltered and his will succumbed. 

The Last Head of the Uchiha Clan was shedding his sanity one clothing piece at a time, his chokutō rattling in its sheath as it was set aside from the white belt suspended low on his hips. The uncomfortable contortions of his wings helped wriggle him one-handedly out of his dirty poncho and black upper-chest armour. 

The indigo band wound around his head followed soon after, messy raven locks tumbling irritably across his heterochromic violet eye as twin winglets rose to the sky. His tertiary wings were finally freed from their month-long imprisonment, downy feather still retaining a hint of untainted innocence as his head pounded painfully in response. 

It was—. 

“Fuck!” His hand was mindlessly wandering down his thigh-length tunic, the slits up to his waist making it easier to move as a shiver of anticipation boiled unexpectedly in the pit of his stomach. An accidental brush of his palm scraped heedlessly over his clothed erection, the unexpected sensation bowing his spine in a burst of pleasure as feral heat burned shamefully across pale cheeks. 

Sasuke _saw_ only her, _heard_ only her, _smelled_ only her — his very soul _yearning_ desperately for more than a mere fantasy unfolding behind Sharingan/Rinnegan activated orbs. It was too late to stop himself, the Uchiha Tercel hiding his cheek against the shoulder of his severed arm as his hand reached for relief inside his pants. 

Hinata was a vision of carnal sensuality behind clenched eyelids, pain and pleasure an equal struggle in his veins as the nineteen-year-old moved just enough to free his cock from its restrictive prison. 

He breathed a stuttering gasp at cool air kissing his arousal’s obscenely wet tip, droplets of precum sliding erotically down a straining length as the avian warrior muffled a guttural moan rupturing in the back of his throat. 

It was _so_ good, a mere touch enough to ignite Sasuke’s unseen ardor. 

The dizzying drags of calloused fingertips squeezing and guiding, teased a primal rhythm from his fingers meant to engage his sensual peak. He was gnashing his teeth in the fabric of his long-sleeved tunic, aching gums seeking to sink ⍺lpha sharp canines into unmarred skin as a phantasia of imagery exploded behind Sharingan-Samsara eyes. 

He could perfectly envision the starlight sheen of her skin beneath spiralling moonbeams, her voluptuous curves naked and writhing beneath him as a waterfall of thigh-length indigo-stratos locks spread like ink on the covers of his duvet. And her eyes, the beautiful innocence only accentuated in lust and need as six pureblood avian wings spread eagerly for the slide of his grasping palm—. 

“F-fuck! H-Hinata!” The Uchiha howled, throat strained and parched as his grip only tightened around his arousal and a desperate thumbnail dug painfully inside a weeping slit. He was going to _cum_ , back bowed and head thrown back against the wall as an unexpected trill whistled from his lips. 

It was rare that Sasuke ever gave in to his lust like this. He’d never touched or been touched by anyone but himself. Even then, it was only rarely that he couldn’t douse the fire in his loins with icy water or his sheer, disciplined, will. Yet this time, _this_ time Sasuke was soaring high on the encompassing pleasure. 

His mind was splintering in rapture, lips parting in surprised grunt when he felt the beginnings of a knot gather at the base of his erection. That was a shock too, an indication that he had well and truly entered rut—. 

_“Shit!”_ The whisper of his calloused fingertips across the fleshy protrusion was what broke him, palm unable to encircle its swiftly growing width as a hoarse cry echoed across the night. The pleasure climbed and climbed and didn’t want to stop, skittering like lighting up and down his spine as the usual seconds of his climax became drawn out and exhaustively unending. 

It was a long half hour of dazed awareness he shuddered through, every tiny giving of semen shuddering through his limbs in quivering pleasure as the Uchiha strained to bring his mind back to reality. He was panting uselessly for breath, deeply embarrassed by the primal sounds he no likely dragged from his lungs as heavy-lidded eyes stared dazedly at the lightening horizon blooming outside. 

His bedroom window was a dirty portal unto the derelict Uchiha district, uncleaned for three years since he was briefly held in house arrest after his imprisonment. The rest of the home was just as abandoned and unused, a sense of shame prompting Sasuke to seek the cleaning materials sometime later that day as he shakily made his way from his room to the bathroom down the hall. 

In his hand were his soiled clothes, an irritable flush tinting pale cheeks when he already felt another wave of need ignite his heart. His tertiary wings were drooping embarrassedly to shield his forehead and lips, raven-sand under feathers shivering softly with the unspent adrenalin heaving his lungs. 

As genin they learned ⍺lpha ruts were just as tiring and painful as Ωmega heats, a fact he never had the means to test for himself until today. And so far, so far Sasuke could only imagine how difficult it was going to be through the next few days without snapping. 

The sparrowhawk simply couldn’t keep images of _his_ beautiful Ωmega dancing eternally through the depths of his mind. 

* * * * 

Hyūga Hinata’s trek through her family compound was startlingly silent, the wind howling deafeningly in the distance as she valiantly ignored the guards’ all-seeing eyes following her every direction. They must have noted the unusually late hour of her return. Not to mention the unsolicited escort dropping her off at the gate. 

Though her mood may have been quiet and peaceful, their extra vigilance was a natural precaution when their unmated Hime was brought home by unapproved outsiders. The eighteen-year-old didn’t seem distressed by the company she kept however, her scent open and sweet as the previous week’s undulating heat-warmth on her skin settled down to a more lulling violet-bergamot aroma. 

If not for the delicate dusting of pink caressing her cheeks or the subtle lime-blossom lust she unconsciously radiated, no one would ever have guessed she was only released from her monthly oestrus cycle seven days before. Though, it came with great embarrassment. Hinata was deeply uncomfortable that four Branch guards and her personal maid were made aware of the time she spent in the underground heat chambers. 

It was a law her father and the elders passed when she presented a month after the war. 

That night however, she felt strangely at peace. Her unexpected run-in with the Last Uchiha blooming her spiralling Ωmega scent into a contented peony-elderflower sweetness. The Hyūga Hime was pulling her wings close to her body, long blue hair dancing haplessly in the wind as she shamefully flared her senses to draw in the lingering ⍺lpha camphor the raven-haired shinobi left clinging to her skin. 

He smelled _so_ good, like bedewed wildflowers at dusk and a brewing lightning storm striking wet stone. The juniper-ozone undertones of his Clan scent were heavy with thunder and fire, his entire demeanour hinting at unclaimed vulnerability and _sheer,_ unrepentant, danger. It was _—._

Whimpering softly in need, snowy-grey tertiary wings fluttered shyly at the sides of her head as the eighteen-year-old twiddled her index fingers together in recollection of her childhood’s self-soothing tick. Even though she gained control over the habit in the last few years, she couldn’t quite contain its appearance beneath the shivering lightning clarity Sasuke’s evoked in her soul. 

Hinata could recall her chakra _bowing_ earlier as his pushed, her neck willingly bared for his teeth as she revelled in open submission without fear or a higher caste’s acrid coercion. It was the first time she met an ⍺lpha like him, her entire being so in tune with _his_ instincts she was lost to whatever he desired. 

The grey scops owl’s heart was racing a painful tattoo in her chest, wings drooping several millimetres to brush the stone pathway as she absentmindedly hooked impossibly long stratos-blue strands behind her left ear. There was a looming figure awaiting her arrival at the entrance of the Hyūga compound’s large communal hall. 

Hyūga Hiashi cut an imposing figure in the late-night air, arms crossed nonchalantly over his chest as ice-white eyes never once let up the close scrutiny he turned on his eldest. She was flushing slightly at his presence as if caught, formerly embarrassed features quickly schooled in the icy apathy her Clan was taught to employ since young. 

Only, Hinata had never been good at concealing her emotions from outside scrutiny. They sprung up like roots in her heart, their presence quick to reflect a crystal clarity in the wake of her father’s gaze. His expression softened slightly the moment he detected no acrid fear in her scent or distress darkening her wisteria-ametrine irises. 

“Evening, daughter.” He regarded, offering her a brief tilt of his head to summon her inside. Artic white eyes were watching her bow to him in brief gratitude, a gentle smile warming the serenity of her gaze as she settled her black heeled sandals respectfully in the shoe rack by the door. The action was so unlike the usual mess her sister made when she returned home. 

“I trust your mission was successful?” Having completely forgotten she had just returned from a three-day mission a few hours earlier, Hinata nodded quietly in answer as she tried not to shudder at a brief engorging of veins on her father’s temples scanning her body for injury. He started going that since the end of the war and her presentation as an Ωmega, a way for him to reassure himself she was not injured or had an ⍺lpha force their chakra-laced claim on her neck. 

“Good.” Hiashi frowned, stern features turning in the direction of the Uchiha compound as he attempted to decipher the lingering scent claim the Tercel seemed to have left behind. “The baths have been freed for the night; I trust you can find your way there. Also, don’t forget to complete your mission report. Hanabi’s hatred of paperwork gives Rokudaime-sama enough trouble as is.” 

Nodding once more in understanding, Hinata wished her father a peaceful goodnight before making her way to the main family wing. She was glad the Hyūga Patrairch had not asked her what she was doing with Sasuke or why she was home so late. 

Their stilted parent-child relationship may have improved significantly over the years, yet there were still times she was treated as an outsider and pushed aside in favour of her sister’s natural brilliance. She was the first female ⍺lpha born in the Hyūga line in a century after all, their cousin Neji’s own gender status almost completely forgotten as a result. 

Branch ⍺lpha were considered cursed, after all. Even in death they were rarely, if ever, acknowledged as having furthered the strength of the Clan. 

Hinata still flinched at every recollection of _him,_ his violent death on the battlefield a devastating loss she never had the means or will to overcome. The guilt of it being _her_ fault, her mistake and selfish-selflessness that brought about his demise, ate at her conscience day and night. It was a searing wound, forever scored, in the depths of her soul. 

Elegant fingers slid the _fusuma_ of her room open, opaline eyes tracing an array of lit oil candles and lanterns situated strategically throughout the eight-tatami space. Though dim and flickering at her presence, she promptly sealed herself inside to avoid thinking further. 

_“Tadaima.”_ She whispered to no one; her black medic-obi dropped carelessly on the enamelled surface of her desk. Her _kunai_ and _shuriken_ followed soon after, long indigo locks tumbling like a waterfall down her back as she tried not to shiver at the strands tickling the slip of skin visible between her umbra-black stockings and shorts. 

She was kneeling exhaustedly beneath the low table, four grey wings flaring momentarily behind her as she fished out a new scroll from her pack. Grinding camphor-ink and water against a white stone _yatate,_ her calligraphy brush wasted no time wetting itself before sweeping in wide, elegant, arcs over the interior of the scroll. 

Unlike usual, her report did not come easy. Hinata’s mind was unfairly occupied by the slumbering ⍺lpha she came across earlier. 

Uchiha Sasuke was a mystery to her, an intriguing puzzle she never felt the courage or need to unravel before. This time, however, she couldn’t help herself. There was a diamond string connecting her to the sparrowhawk for some reason, a spontaneous link of attraction and submission she had yearned to experience her _whole_ life. 

Yet, at the same time, she despised the fact she couldn’t control her instincts around him. It was—. 

The mere _scent_ of him, the mere proximity he twined them in earlier; clung like petrichor-ash and rain on her mating gland. _Kami!_ To think he had touched her _there,_ her entire spine still tingled from the flutter of arousal it ignited deep inside her soul. 

Even if it was an accident or not, it didn’t seem to matter. 

In fact, Hinata couldn’t get rid of the scorching heat it brought forth inside her. A yearning need clenched achingly in the emptiness of her womb, prompting her to lay an icy palm over the scalding gland. The unmarred skin at the base of her neck was swollen and red, throbbing angrily at her touch instead of soothed. 

Just how would it feel to have feral teeth sink into her skin, she pondered. To feel that violent chakra pour into her soul and his essence greedily fill her womb. To have the ⍺lpha settled ferally between her thighs for days and days until she couldn’t breathe anything but their combined scent and their fire sparking a life inside her… To—. 

“O-oh n-no,” The owl whimpered, finding the shameful drip of crystalline slick soaking the seat of her pants. Not even her stockings were spared, a shimmering puddle mirrored on the opaque nylon as she shakily put her brush down. Her tertiary wings were trembling in mortification that this could happen again, that she could slip into unsolicited heat mere days since her last. 

_No, no, no…_ this was—. 

There was a familiar fire burning beneath Hinata’s skin, a sensual moan spilling unconsciously from luscious peony-pink lips as she dazedly dropped her scroll on the floor and stumbled towards her personal bathroom. Her hands were struggling to form a scent sealing barrier around this part of the house, laying a locking seal on her door just in case as she whimpered and whined at the instantaneous hypersensitivity invading her skin. 

The need fall to her knees was _so_ strong, a yearning cramp in her abdomen nearly sprawling her on the floor as she scrambled to twist open the shower tap. The icy water was supposed to help appease her rising fervour, the large space instantly filling with a crisp, clear water scent as it struggled to soothe the hitch and flame in her breath. 

Her elemental affinity was instinctually working to cool the air around her, water molecules drifting and dancing in a lazy swirl as she disrobed carelessly in haste. A formfitting sleeveless lavender sweater and lacy bra tumbled to the floor, her primary and secondary wings bowing protectively around her naked torso as her natural lime-blossom lust only strengthened in arousal at the memory of _him._

The mind-numbing pull of his Sharingan-Rinnegan orbs had been all-encompassing, long raven strands a mess brushing his neck as a peak of elongated canines flashed in his mouth the few times he spoke. The push and pull of his black hellfire and byzantine chakra had been mind-consuming, sending lightning to throb dizzyingly through her insides as she bit her lip to contain the guttural moan calling for him to fill the emptiness inside her soul. 

As an Ωmega, Hinata was _yearning._

Shorts and stockings dropped to the floor not long after, the cloth soaked with more slick than she ever remembered producing before as her primal scent rose with a sharp, unfulfilled, camelia bite. It was ascending in a haze from her naked silhouette, large grey wings bowing in a cocoon against any curious Byakugan eyes as she scrambled to the bathroom sink in search of her emergency suppressants. 

“Nnngh!” The rasp of her voice was rising in pitch the instant the needle penetrated her thigh, the light blue liquid spreading a dull numbness through her veins as she dropped the empty syringe on the floor. 

She didn’t care if she stepped on it, her legs slowly slipping from beneath her as she stumbled inside the running shower. The beautiful grey and white plumage she usually groomed to perfection, was an ugly mess in its wetness. The waterlogged heaviness dragging her to her knees as a curtain of indigo-black hair formed an evocative puddle beneath her. 

The rain of water ran kisses of refreshing rivulets over closed eyelids, her opal-ametrine eyes hidden behind sopping bangs tickling her cheeks as white feathered lashes blinked open once or twice in thought. Her natural shyness kept her from reaching for the throbbing space between her thighs in search of relief, a deep flush of embarrassment burning her cheeks as she continued to pant with need. 

_“An_ _Ω_ _mega Hime of the Hy_ _ū_ _ga Clan never breaches her virtue herself in heat.”_ She recalled her grandmother teaching her several days after her eleventh birthday. _“Despite the agony of living through an oestrus cycle without internal relief, one must remember that an_ _Ω_ _mega’s claiming belongs solely to their_ ⍺ _lpha mate. That virtue must remain untouched by all.”_

“Even _we_ are not permitted to break that law.” The former heiress recited to herself, the delicate graze of her nails reaching down to scrape a heated path across her clit instead. _Kami!_ Why did she have to obey the elders of a Clan that cast her aside? To protect honour that—. 

Her touch brought nothing but empty relief. 

It should be enough though tide her over until her suppressants fully took over, yet she had never been tested so much before. 

“S-shit!” Hinata swore, struggling to find the will to test her endurance so soon after the last week. She simply couldn’t silence the fantasy of Uchiha Sasuke spinning dizzying in her mind. It was breaking her, cracking her soul just a little more as she struggled to contain a needy Ωmega whine that was loud enough to alert those close to her room. 

Just what was happening to her? 

* * * * 

Four days. It took four _fucking_ days to break through his rut, Sasuke lamented. Never in his life had his self-control been tested this much, the flimsy sigma scent barrier he erected over his home having been recast a total of eight times to keep his virile potency from attracting curious outsiders onto his property. 

Not only that, but his arm ached with the instinctual bites he peppered over pale skin. The scent gland at the base of his wrist was a mangled mess of beading cruor and feral marks, an absent caress wiping the carmine smear over his shinobi pants as he laid his head against a sea of wildflower petals and uncut grass. 

Kaa-san’s most beloved garden was nothing more than an overgrown field these days, the feral tumble of Sasuke’s raven-black hair retaining a shimmering wetness from the hour-long shower he just vacated. Not only that, but his large wings were spread-eagled in an attempt to dry their lustre in the sun. 

For the first time in many years his plumage glimmered regally, shaking fingertips having worked hard to stimulate the oil glands situated just below his down. He had groomed the feathers into a beautiful umber-black iridescence, the nobly striped underside of his wings standing out amongst the dullness of the Uchiha district as prideful eyes turned toward clear summer skies. 

It was a miracle his home had survived the destruction Pein wrought all those years ago, he mused. He’d seen the devastation the rest of the village suffered after returning from the Fourth Great Shinobi War. It seemed fate was cruel enough to leave his Clan’s bitter tomb undefiled by others, even if the Last Uchiha would have preferred the slate wiped clean in his absence. 

Either way, Sasuke would have to restore the crumbling buildings sometime soon. It looked offensively pitiful to his sharp eyes that morning, its dirty walls and flaking paint certainly not a place he’d introduce his future mate to. Never mind its heavy atmosphere being unsuitable to protect their young—. 

Concealing a thoughtful frown in the shadow of a high-collar Clan shirt, Sasuke felt no need to school the open expressiveness of his tertiary wings as he pulled himself to his feet. He’s wasted enough time doing nothing these past three years, bare feet slipping inside a slightly less worn pair of geta as his left sleeve fluttered emptily by his side. 

The nineteen-year-old made sure to leave the reincarnation of Kusanagi propped in the corner of his room, the shoji doors thrown open to air out the stifling wet-lightning scent his rut left behind. He didn’t like the bitter acridness of the smell without _her_ sweetness mellowing its harshness. 

Although, Sasuke was sure catching a mere _glimpse_ of her would settle the _not-right_ _—_ _anxious-emptiness_ twisting through his gut. It was—. 

“Hn.” The Uchiha had awoken what felt like a torrent of instinct over the last few days, his body and mind still not allowing him an ounce of rest as he made his way toward the centre of the village. For some reason the ⍺lpha felt a need to preen, his only remaining hand running lazy fingers through the shoulder-length bangs falling forward to conceal his Rinnegan from sight. 

The feral raven strands created an irritating grind in the back of his mind, Sasuke pushing the curtain-like bangs on the left side of his face behind his ear so he could scowl at every one looking in his direction funny. He’d never bow to the pitiful challenge in ꞵeta/⍺lpha eyes or pitiful Ωmega seeking his attention. 

Their very existence was unworthy of him. 

Only _she_ was, only the Hyūga Hime he formed an unshakeable desire for in the span of thirty seconds. It didn’t erase the brief flutter of his tertiary wings falling forward to conceal the dusting of pink decorating his cheeks, however. His mind constantly reminded of the _many_ ways he imagined ravaging her over the last ninety-six hours. 

Sasuke had been deeply embarrassed by the vividness of his own fantasies, never mind the fact that he’d indulged in far too much pleasure to state his untamed desire. 

It was almost enough to make him lose his balance on black and red tengu geta, wings snapping momentarily behind him to steady his equilibrium as he reluctantly entered the Hokage Tower to drop off his unofficial report. There was a terrified genin squad occupying the stifling office space as he strode forward, lazy fingers throwing a scroll in the Rokudaime’s direction as he snarled viciously at the petrified submission his unexpected presence evoked. 

“Stop terrifying the children, Sasuke!” Kakashi scolded in amusement. “Make sure you drop by next time when I’m not busy!” 

Glaring violently over his shoulder, Sasuke strode from the room without a single word. He was well aware the Ōkami picked up on the subtle fire-scorch scent of his rut as a knowing eye-crinkle smiled disarmingly despite the calculation flickering inside sharp grey eyes. 

If he wasn’t careful, Sasuke would be in for a friendly interrogation by his former sensei by the end of the day. 

“Whatever.” The Tercel shot back, the door slamming irritably behind him as he stalked from the Hokage Tower to the centre of the commercial district. 

It was rare the Uchiha ventured to this part of the village when he had a choice. Then again, Sasuke was on a confusing/exciting personal journey that day. Now, if only he could settle the empty grumble in his stomach and find whatever it was his instincts was screaming at him to find. 

_Courting…courting…courting,_ his instincts rumbled over and over again…even if his mind was in the process of silencing that voice. 

Sasuke didn’t want to give in to the spark of hope it ignited deep inside his soul, his psyche too uncertain and emotionally damaged over the years to trust himself with what he truly wanted. Yet, he wasn’t a coward either. Uchiha’s were never ones to give up easily, especially when it came to the intricate courting protocols ingrained in their blood. 

Ducking nonchalantly under a colourful teahouse _noren,_ the Last Uchiha was pleased to find the shop interior empty of foot traffic. It was early morning, after all. Business wouldn’t be picking up until nine-thirty/ten when the first guard change of the day happened. 

Either way, Sasuke was secretly pleased the owner still recognized him from his youth. Gnarled and knowing hands placed a cup of steaming jasmine tea before him without question, no sugar, honey or milk even offered in a reedy voice. It felt like _years_ since the shinobi last tasted the shop’s heavenly brew, mismatched orbs softening slightly as a plate filled with _onigiri, savoury tamagoyaki_ and a bowl of warm _miso_ soup followed without him having to ask. 

It was a mere coincidence, in his eyes, that the teahouse had been rebuilt across from the Yamanaka Flower Shop. Sharp onyx-violet orbs observed the delicate blooms the blond-haired shop attendant arranged in gaudy plastic containers outside. It wasn’t exactly what he was looking for, but he would peruse the interior of the shop carefully once he finished his meal. 

He could remember his mother’s gentle words in his mind even now, the delicate memories like the tender blooms she tended as it dripped with bittersweet nostalgia and softly aged sepia photographs. There had been so many explains the Matriarch had given him as he helped her in the garden when he was young, his _kekkei genkai_ influenced memory as much of a curse as it was a blessing. 

_Each flower,_ she had said one day, _carries a hidden message in its petals_. _For example,_ her vivid onyx orbs had sparkled softly like drops of morning dew as she smiled at his open curiosity. _Roses, so overused my little Prince, are good for expressing every type of love. Though I forbid you form ever using them for courting. For an Uchiha they are too tacky._

_Traditional flowers are much more acceptable, the bravery of peonies or intense passion of camellias. Starflowers and hydrangeas for wilful pride too,_ she had bumped his nose with a sweetly fragranced hydrangea head in full bloom beneath the spring sky. _It’s all up to you._

_Don’t ever let your love go to waste, us Uchiha merely love fiercely and differently that’s all._

Dropping some _ryo_ on the table to pay for his meal, Sasuke offered a quietly appreciative nod to the ancient lady tending the counter as he left the teashop both sorrowfully raw but fiercely determined. It was a mere few steps across the road, tengu geta rapping steadily passed the glass door as he slipped inside the florist. 

“Irasshaimase!” A bubbly blond called, Sasuke’s tertiary wings drooping slightly at the sudden heaviness of his decision as he completely ignored the shop attendant staring at him in open mouthed shock. Though they were Academy mates and both claimed a part of Konoha’s Rookie 11; the Tercel merely waved Ino’s assistance aside as he bent forward to examine every flower head and bud in bloom. 

How long he assessed each and every one, he couldn’t tell. Only that when he finally settled for three perfect, delicate, green stems; the Yamanaka breathed a quiet sigh of relief that she no longer had to put with a one-sided conversation interspersed with emotionless Hn’s whenever the Uchiha deigned her question worthy of an answer. 

His presence, after all, made the other customers nervous. It was not everyday one sees the Last Uchiha Tercel in a flower shop, nor his terrifying Rinnegan orb so openly displayed or deadly chakra tinged with something darker and more alluring than the careful blankness he displayed as a young twelve-year-old. 

“Can I wrap these?” Shaking his head in the negative, Sasuke merely asked for a length of black velvet ribbon before he paid. He vanished across the rooftops in a perfectly executed _shunshin_ not long after, feet stopping for a few moments at the space he met Hyūga Hinata a few nights ago. 

_I may not be able to offer you love,_ he thought. _But I can promise loyalty and fidelity._ Sasuke was unsure if he even had the ability to love after the darkness of his past. It was a deeply private battle he was unsure he had the ability to overcome. Yet, his fingertips, knuckles and teeth did not shy away from tying a messy bow around his purchase with some difficulty. 

The oily gland on his inner wrist was red and raw from the scent he rubbed into the luxurious fabric, the lightning-striking-stone a heavy undernote to the juniper of his Clan lands and swaying winter grass. He could only hope it enticed her to answer his call. 

Dark Passion blue, Grateful Red and Immortality White the large bearded irises bloomed, gossamer petals undamaged and crafting a haunting reflection of his Clan colours in the light of the midmorning sun. A slow grin was sparking across pale lips, Sasuke feeling a spark of adrenalin ignite his blood as he turned heterochromic irises in the direction of the Hyūga estate. 

It was going to fun breaking through Konoha’s all seeing Byakugan fortress to place his gift where only she would find it. ⍺lpha had to show their chosen Ωmega they were worthy after all, not only in building the perfect nest for their mates but possessing the skill and prowess to overcome every obstacle. 

And Uchiha’s…Uchiha’s didn’t back down. 

* * * * 

Mi (蛇) - Snake 

Ushi (牛) – Ox 

U (兎) – Rabbit 

Tora (虎) – Tiger 

星座二 - Seiza Nii - Second Constellation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading! I really appreciate it! 
> 
> For those who are interested, those are the names of real bearded irises so please ask Google-sensei to provide you with an image if you wish to see how truly beautiful they are. :) They are also hearkening back the Before the Storm Iris Hinata placed in Sasuke's hair when they were young. 
> 
> Please leave me a little review, I'd greatly appreciate it.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks so much for reading, my lovelies! 
> 
> I'll be working on The Phantasmagoria Current next! So heads up in a few days or two weeks or so. :) 
> 
> If I can plead for a tiny review, I'd be eternally grateful. This couple is, after all, my greatest guilty pleasure.


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